Werner’s answer to “Here's my question, Baby Cake. I'm finally "biting the bullet" to read the Illiad by Homer but ther…” > Likes and Comments

Well, the Illiad translation the BU library has is a much more recent one, the 1974 blank-verse translation by an American scholar, Robert Fitzgerald. The Oxford Guide considers him the most successful of the 20th-century American translators of Homer, though they think he did a better job with the Odyssey.

The Oxford Guide devotes between 4-5 pages to translations of the Illiad and the Odyssey (they treat them both in the same section, since so many translators do both). So I can't reproduce or even summarize everything they say; and they don't identify a single "best" translation.as such.

That said, they're critical of some aspects of Chapman's work; and while acknowledging that Cowper tried to very literal, they clearly don't care much for his style. The version they seem to praise the most is the one by Alexander Pope (translated between 1715-1720), "the classic translation that was built on all the preceding versions." Hope this helps at least somewhat! (If, like me, you're not personally familiar with classical Greek, ANY translation you read will probably be a rewarding experience, and convey a basic idea of the original story.)

Wonderful. Actually either of those recommendations seems great depending on which I feel inclined towards. There are so many people recommending those revamped into the most easily understandable modern English. Without trying to sound like a self-important snob, I think I'm a little beyond that and am capable of a bit more. If I can read the Canterbury Tales and King James English I think I can do a wee bit better than the "Fun with Dick and Jane" version of Homer.
Thanks for clarification. I WILL "stay tuned".
Be well.
Sincerely, Laura-Lee 😔🫡

BTW I'm feeling less sheepish about not having read it after all these years now that you have admitted the same. God bless you for your honesty that allows me to hold my little high-school-diploma-only head up amongst my brainiac-expert-Masters-degree friends with confidence. 😜 So there, you Egg Heads❗️

Laura-Lee, you never need to feel sheepish about not having read something! There are tons of great books out there, and nobody can read them all in a lifetime!

You be well, too! God bless.